Preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica

The following text is excerpted from the preface to the first edition of theEncyclopædia Britannica, which began publication in December 1768 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

UTILITY ought to be the principal intention of every publication. Wherever this intention does not plainly appear, neither the books nor their authors have the smallest claim to the approbation of mankind.

To diffuse the knowledge of Science, is the professed design of the following work. What methods, it may be asked, have the compilers employed to accomplish this design? Not to mention original articles, they have had recourse to the best books upon almost every subject, extracted the useful parts, and rejected whatever appeared trifling or less interesting. Instead of dismembering the Sciences, by attempting to treat them intelligibly under a multitude of technical terms, they have digested the principles of every science in the form of systems or distinct treatises, and explained the terms as they occur in the order of the alphabet, with references to the sciences to which they belong.

As this plan differs from that of all the Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences hitherto published, the compilers think it necessary to mention what they imagine gives it a superiority over the common method. A few words will answer this purpose. Whoever has had occasion to consult Chambers, Owen, &c. or even the voluminous French Encyclopedie, will have discovered the folly of attempting to communicate science under the various technical terms arranged in an alphabetical order. Such an attempt is repugnant to the very idea of science, which is a connected series of conclusions deduced from self-evident or previously discovered principles. It is well if a man be capable of comprehending the principles and relations of the different parts of science, when laid before him in one uninterrupted chain. But where is the man who can learn the principles of any science from a Dictionary compiled upon the plan hitherto adopted? We will, however, venture to affirm, that any man of ordinary parts, may, if he chuses, learn the principles of Agriculture, of Astronomy, of Botany, of Chemistry, &c.&c. from the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia BritannicaFirst page of the preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, 1768.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

In the execution of this extensive and multifarious undertaking, the Compilers laboured under many disadvantages, partly arising from the nature of the work, and partly owing to the following circumstance.

The Editors, though fully sensible of the propriety of adopting the present plan, were not aware of the length of time necessary for the execution, but engaged to begin the publication too early. However, by the remonstrances of the Compilers, the publication was delayed for twelve months. Still time was wanted. But the subscribers pushed the Editors, and they at last persuaded the Compilers to consent to the publication. If time had been allowed, the Compilers designed to have compleated the sciences before proceeding to the technical terms; and by that means to have guarded against omissions, and made all the references from the terms to the sciences more particular. The consequence was unavoidable. All the references to any science that occur in the alphabet previous to the name of the science itself, are general: those that follow are particular; pointing out, not only the name of the science, but the number of the page.

We must further acknowledge, that, in some instances, we have deviated from the general plan; but, we hope, not without reason. For example, under the words Botany and Natural History, it would have been an endless, and perhaps an useless task, to have given the generic distinctions of every plant, and of every animal. These are to be found under the names of the plants and animals themselves. The same observation may be made with respect to Mineralogy, Materia Medica, Pathology, Physiology, and Therapeutics. These are so interwoven with Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, and Medicine, that, in a work of this kind, it was almost impossible, without many unnecessary repetitions, to treat them as distinct sciences. Indeed, properly speaking, they are not sciences, but parts or accessories of sciences, which, by the dexterity of teachers and authors, have been long exhibited under that form.

With regard to errors in general, whether falling under the denomination of mental, typographical, or accidental, we are conscious of being able to point out a greater number than any critic whatever. Men who are acquainted with the innumerable difficulties attending the execution of a work of such an extensive nature will make proper allowances. To these we appeal, and shall rest satisfied with the judgment they pronounce.